Assembly resurrects tonnage fee

Juneau Assembly members are considering a plan to replace a 1-week-old, $1.73 cruise ship passenger fee with a modified version of the city's old tonnage fee to pay for port development projects this year.

After hearing objections from private dock owners and the cruise ship industry, the Assembly's port dues subcommittee today asked city staff to prepare a tonnage fee resolution that would be used for specific projects and exempt private dock users. It would replace a $1.73 passenger fee that went into effect May 15.

"The last think I wanted to do was go back to the tonnage tax, but I'm going to forgo my pride and go back," Deputy Mayor Ken Koelsch said. "It seems we still have some groundwork and talking to do with the North West CruiseShip Association."

The Assembly hasn't identified what the new tonnage fee will be, although the decade-old fee ranged from 5 to 23 cents before it expired Jan. 1. As with the $1.73 charge, the new tonnage fee would be used to pay for part of the Marine Park-Steamship Wharf redesign, a comprehensive waterfront plan and a dock extension study, based on the subcommittee's direction.

Assembly member Jeannie Johnson, who helped craft the $1.73 passenger fee with Mayor Sally Smith earlier this month, said she doesn't have a preference whether the city charges cruise ships per passenger or per ton as long as there is a mechanism in place to collect the money.

The North West CruiseShip Association has echoed those sentiments, but asked the city to tie whatever port charge it chooses to specific projects. The association last week asked the city to set up "an interim fee" for city dock users as its members work out a mechanism to share costs. The association also asked the city to delay bidding the Marine Park-Steamship Wharf this fall and begin work on a comprehensive waterfront plan this year.

Tom Dow, vice president of public affairs for Princess Cruise Lines, said his company didn't want to put Marine Park-Steamship Wharf on hold as much as get more information about the project's cost and design. Princess is a NWCA member.

"There's still some uncertainty about this project and what all is involved in it. We have some preliminary estimates, but we don't have final costs," he said. "There's also the matter of drawing the line in terms of what constitutes wharf and dock improvements ... and what constitutes city park or public beautification. Once we have that, I think we could allocate those costs amongst ourselves and be creative in that process."

Representatives from the Downtown Business Association today objected to delaying the Marine Park-Steamship Wharf project. Galligaskins co-owner Rod Swope said retail sales suffer when ships don't use Steamship Wharf because people shop close to their ship.

"It's location, location, location," he said. "It's devastating when ships don't use the facility because it's an inferior dock. There are 34 days this summer when a ship isn't tied up at Steamship Wharf a quarter of the summer. That's why we're having trouble."

Johnson said she doesn't want to delay the project either.

"The Assembly approved it and I would have a very big concern about slipping back on that if we wait a year," she said. "We made a promise to people that we would go forward on that."